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About Jan Wacker

John and Jan live in Portland, OR, in the historical Irvington neighborhood. We also have condos in Palm Springs, CA, and Reno, NV. Our 1916 craftsman bungalow in Portland was fully renovated in 2008. The 1979 Palm Springs condo was remodeled top to bottom in spring 2011 and also is available for vacation rental. The Reno condo was purchased and fully renovated in summer 2012.

John is an electrical engineer, and Jan is retired. We enjoy traveling abroad, especially to Europe. When in Portland, we have fun driving our two classic cars, a 1940 Buick Super hot rod and a 1965 Skylark convertible. We look forward to much more traveling when John retires.

Jan Wacker purchased this condo in 2012

Why Jan Wacker chose Reno

All the fun of downtown and all the proximity to the great outdoors! The Truckee River and Wingfield Park bandstand are just across from the condo entry, and we love all the recent changes in downtown Reno. Drive to Lake Tahoe for summer and winter fun, hike and ski in the mountains, enjoy day trips to historic Virginia City, NV, or Sacramento, CA. The Basque food in Gardnerville, NV, is also a treat.

What makes this condo unique

Easy access to all that downtown Reno has to offer--

*Unique restaurants in the Riverwalk District within 4 blocks

*National Bowling Stadium--7 blocks away

*Historic and modern casinos with wide array of concert offerings in addition to gambling challenges--within 6 blocks

*National Car Museum (featuring the Harrah collection)--8 blocks away

*Artown festival every July, with nightly music and other entertainment--Across the street from the condo entry

Watch adventurers in the whitewater kayaking and inner tubing course from the living room window, or join in the fun by renting equipment at the park across the street.

Guestbook comments from the owner

The condo on the river was great, it was clean and tastefully doctorates. I felt at home from the first night and the location was prefect. I stayed during Artown and enjoyed concerts in the park, great restaurants and music around town. Everything was within walking distance. I will recommend the condo to friends and family.

Reviews

4

based on 5 holidaymaker reviews

FABULOUS STAY IN RENO

5
of 5

If you are looking for a great place to stay in Reno, look no further! Park Tower condos are so centrally located and have a view of everything that goes on downtown. We stayed here for our daughter's wedding and even baked the wedding cakes in this small but efficient kitchen. The owner had everything I needed to make the cakes. We are from the East so baking at high altitude was a bit of a challenge but nothing that making 4 practice cakes didn't solve. We made 8 wedding cakes and my sister rented the penthouse in this same condo building so we had an icing party on the top floor condo. The owners were very helpful and the place was immaculate. You can't go wrong renting this condo. If you rent a car though, you will be much happier if it's small model. We learned how to park our daughter's SUV in the space but believe me, you'll be happy if your car is small! Thank you so much for a wonderful 2 weeks in Reno.

Agree with prior poor reviews

1
of 5

The only pro about this is the property was close to everything and we enjoyed being able to walk places. The parking situation was not exaggerated - the space is in the corner and due to tight spaces and other vehicles I had to back and fill 3-6 times every time I wanted to get in or out with a mid-sized rental car. The managers on the property made an effort to help out with our request for cleaning products without heavy odor, but whatever they cleaned the leather chairs in the bedroom with smelled so strongly I had to sleep in living room on sleeper sofa. Sleeper sofa was very uncomfortable, I woke up multiple times every night with back pain. Pillows were so flimsy I used 4 and still felt like I wasn't using any at all. Every time I used the hair dryer (theirs) it tripped a circuit and we had to call managers to find circuit breaker panel. They didn't know where it was either and had to contact owners. The worst part was the heating situation. Like previous comments I couldn't believe how cold the place was. With both electric heaters and furnace (VERY LOUD!) running I still had to get under blankets up to my chin while watching TV. We came from winter in Wisconsin so it is not an issue of us being cold sensitive. I felt like we were staying outside and was always happy to leave since I felt warmer outdoors even though the temperature was below 50 degrees. I don't know why it was so cold unless it had something to do with being above the parking garage. Often there were chemical-type smells when we returned to property, I don't know if fumes were getting in from garage or other area of building but it was unpleasant. I hate to be so negative, but there really were a lot of problems. Location was the only plus. Try the Blue Bean for great breakfast sandwiches!

Review Submitted: Feb 18, 2014

Date of Stay: Jan 2014

Source: VRBO, from HomeAway

Owner's Response: I am so sorry that Pam did not enjoy her stay in our condo. If she would have contacted me while she was there (instead of waiting until over 1 month after her visit), I would have been very willing to fully refund her money so that she could find other accommodations in one of the thousands of hotel rooms available in Reno.
Since finishing the full renovation of this condo in January 2013 we have hosted 29 guests through 3 online sites. We have 10 reviews; all but Pam’s are highly positive, stating they will recommend the condo to friends and are eager to return themselves. Indeed, 3 parties have visited for a 2nd time, and 11 have stayed during Reno’s coldest months (November-March) and did not say heating was an issue. Most guests have stayed 5 days-3 weeks.
On her specific concerns:
*Parking: Only 1 review has mentioned parking, writing: “Our MB GLK, at 179" long and a wheelbase of 109", made it, but just barely. We had a good time, and will no doubt be back in the future.” So, parking was not a significant negative. Gated, indoor parking in downtown Reno is actually quite a perk.
*Fragrances: To accommodate Pam we did buy special odor-free cleaning supplies. She cites 2 leather chairs in the bedroom as the source of bad aroma, but 6 of the same leather dining chairs are in the living room where she chose to sleep. If I had heard from Pam during her stay, I might have suggested moving the 2 out of the bedroom.
*Sleeper sofa: The $3,000 sleeper sofa is by American Leather, which makes sleeper sofas for full-time use in urban lofts and studio apartments. In 2013 that brand was ranked #2 in apartmenttherapy.com’s annual review of the best sleeper sofas. Previous guests have liked it, with one noting: “The bed is super comfy and the foldout sofa sleeper is comfy as well.” Pam also disliked our pillows, and I would have been willing to buy more pillows if I had heard this during her stay.
*Hair dryer: We received 1 phone call from the managers, who had apparently forgotten where the circuit box was located. We reminded them and noted that the space heater could not be in use at the same time as the hair dryer. Perhaps Pam was not informed of this electrical conflict, and for that I am sorry.
Again, I am sorry Pam did not enjoy her stay, and I would strongly suggest either keeping in communication with owners during any future homeaway/VRBO stays or sticking with traditional hotels. Best wishes for your future travel accommodations, Pam.

Great Condo in a Convient Location

5
of 5

The condo is within walking distance of downtime and easy access to walking trails along the river. The building was quiet and the condo was nicely decorated, clean and well furnished. It has beautiful views from the living room, patio or roof top. The manager met us at the condo and helped us get familiar with the place and its furnishings. Would definitely stay here again.

Wonderful Condo in Perfect Location!

5
of 5

What a comfortable, nicely decorated condo. There wasn't a thing we needed that wasn't there. And the view from the living room of the park and river is delightful! Thelma and Richard helped get everything in and made us feel right at home. Thank you! Highly recommend this condo.

Thoughtful hosts, great location

4
of 5

This property is ideally located, fully equipped, and owned by very thoughtful and helpful hosts. Everything you need is nearby, including walking trails and a 12 screen theater. The unit was clean and everything worked as advertised. The laundry is coin-operated, off the garage, but not far away and easy to use.

The only caveat - the parking garage is challenging, even for a relatively modest-sized vehicle, and the only alternative is on the street. If your car is bigger than an Accord or Camry, it probably won't fit. Our MB GLK, at 179" long, and a wheelbase of 109", made it, but just barely.

Notes: Rates are based on 2 guests; add $6 per night, per additional guest

Additional pricing information

Cleaning

$120
+ Tax

Refundable Damage Deposit

$300

Tax Rate

13.0%

Notes

$100 cleaning fee
$5/night parking fee for reserved space in gated building garage
For more than 2 guests--$10/person/night

* Approximate monthly price. Actual pricing will depend on the days of the month you stay.

Please Note: The owner of this property accepts payment in the original currency specified (USD), before use of conversion tool. The conversion tool is provided for your convenience only. The owner may accept other currencies if specifically agreed in advance.